Earlier this month we experienced snow then the first day of Spring. With the warmer temperatures our lawns will be coming alive. This time of year, I find myself preparing my yard equipment for the season as well as planning yard-scape projects. Getting the tractor battery charged and the blades of my mower sharpened are top on my list of what seems to be a season of endless yard work. Already I’ve had to trim the growth on the shrubs that were missed from last fall and have hours of work soon planned for around the yard. I make it sound like a chore, however I actually enjoy working outside with my hands in the dirt. Time not ambition is scarce though.
Last season I found myself employing a friend’s son to help maintain our property which helped me keep up with the mowing. I recently read an article about lawn-mower related accidents and I thought about how many people might pay someone to mow their lawns. What if a person is injured while helping you, do you know if your homeowner’s insurance will cover them?
You might be aware that your homeowner’s insurance has some labiality coverage to it. However, when you are paying someone for services rendered, whether it be yard work or handyman services, they are considered an employee. Unless the person you’ve hired has their own liability insurance you can be held responsible if they are injured on your property.
If you hire people to help you on your property there are a few things you can do to protect yourself. First most, if your hiring someone to do work for you on your property it’s best that they have business liability insurance. Next, you can make sure you have the Contingent Workers' Compensation endorsement on your homeowner’s policy. This endorsement will protect you if you become legally obligated to pay benefits to someone you employed on your property.
Not sure if you have the Contingent Workers' Compensation endorsement? I invite you to contact me to review your policy and see about this and other coverages that might be important to you.